By the way: ‘Judge not, and you will not be judged…’

By REV. SHANE HEIN on February 26, 2022.

37 “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; [ESV].

One of the issues of arguing from a biblical perspective is our temptation to tear bits of Scripture out of their context, robbing them of their intended meaning. Jesus’ warning to “Judge not, lest ye be judged” would make my top three most misused quotes in all of Holy Scripture, especially in this era of hyper-sensitivity.

Today we often hear some version of this line trotted out as a defense against legitimate criticism of one’s actions. If those six words are all one had to go by, and if the one quoting them knows nothing else about Jesus, then, yes, that would be a reasonable conclusion. However, if we go back to the original verse above, we will immediately discover that the “Judge not” line is part of a series of related lines, all working together to present us with something far more useful than a divinely endorsed method of avoiding shame for our sinful behaviour. If Jesus is actually forbidding us from holding one another accountable, then St. Paul himself would be guilty of violating this rule.

In fact, the “Judge not” verse in this context is not a negative statement at all, despite use of the word “not.” Rather, Jesus, by using the words “Judge not, Condemn not”, and “Forgive” is forever lifting from us the burden of passing judgement on someone else’s final destiny. That job lies only within the purview of the All Mighty.

Holding one another accountable, though, is an act born out of genuine love for the other, and out of genuine concern for each other’s well-being, not out of moral superiority, pettiness, vengefulness, or hate. The task, therefore, always leans on forgiveness as a guiding principle, recognizing, as Jesus does, that every single human being has fallen short of God’s glory, and is in desperate need of His saving Grace.

God’s Richest Blessings.

Rev. Pastor Shane Hein – St. Peter Lutheran, Medicine Hat

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